The man convicted of plotting to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby has reportedly been found keeping a collection of photographs of the television presenter inside his prison cell.
Gavin Plumb, 39, is serving a minimum term of more than 15 years at high-security HMP Long Lartin after being convicted in 2024 of soliciting Holly’s kidnap, rape and murder.
According to reports, prison officers discovered a folder containing pictures of the former This Morning host hidden beneath his mattress during a cell search.
The photographs were allegedly cut from television magazines collected from other prisoners.
A source claimed the material was confiscated and destroyed, while Plumb is understood to have lost privileges following the discovery.
The Prison Service did not confirm the specific cell-search allegations but said Plumb’s crimes were “despicable” and that he remained behind bars where he belonged.
Concerns over continued fixation
The reported discovery has prompted fresh concern about whether Plumb remains fixated on Holly despite his conviction and imprisonment.
An unnamed prison source claimed he had deliberately searched magazines for photographs of the presenter before storing them in his cell.
“He should not have been allowed access to images of her,” the source said.
Claims about Plumb’s private comments, behaviour and attitude inside prison have not been independently verified and should be treated as allegations from anonymous sources.
However, his original obsession with Holly was extensively documented during his criminal trial.
Police found thousands of images of the presenter at his home after his arrest, together with equipment prosecutors said he intended to use as part of the planned attack.
Prison privileges reportedly removed
Reports suggest the hidden photographs were discovered after officers received information about Plumb’s behaviour.
Guards are said to have searched his cell and removed a folder filled with pictures of Holly.
He reportedly lost television access and other privileges as a result.
Prisoners can be disciplined for possessing unauthorised or concerning material, particularly where it may relate directly to their offences or victims.
Any misconduct could also form part of future risk assessments if Plumb eventually becomes eligible to apply for parole.
A source argued that behaviour suggesting a continuing obsession would be highly relevant to officials deciding whether he could ever be managed safely outside prison.
Plot exposed by undercover officer
Plumb’s planned attack was uncovered after he described it in an online chatroom in October 2023.
An undercover officer in the United States posed as someone willing to participate and gathered information about Plumb’s intentions.
The officer obtained his address before alerting American authorities, who passed the warning to police in Britain.
Essex Police believed the threat could be imminent and arrested Plumb at his home in Harlow.
During the investigation, officers recovered restraints, cable ties and other items that prosecutors presented as part of a planned kidnap kit.
Body-camera footage recorded during the arrest showed Plumb describing Holly as a fantasy.
A jury later rejected his claim that the conversations were merely online role-play and found him guilty.
Previous offences raised alarm
Plumb’s history was also considered during sentencing.
In 2006, he received a suspended sentence following attempts to abduct two women he encountered on trains.
He was later jailed in 2008 after falsely imprisoning two teenage girls in a shop storeroom.
The prosecution argued that his plot against Holly represented an escalation from earlier offending.
At Chelmsford Crown Court in July 2024, he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years, reduced slightly to account for time already spent in custody.
The sentence reflected both the seriousness of the planned crimes and the danger the court believed he presented.
Holly left This Morning after threat emerged
Holly stepped away from This Morning shortly after the plot became public, ending her 14-year association with the ITV daytime programme.
In a statement to viewers, the mother of three said she had made the decision for herself and her family.
Although she later returned to selected television projects, the case profoundly affected her professional and private life.
The reported discovery of further photographs inside Plumb’s cell is therefore likely to raise renewed concerns about victim protection and how offenders are monitored in prison.
Holly’s representative was reportedly contacted for comment.
Reported association with convicted killer
The article also claimed Plumb has developed a friendship with convicted serial killer Steve Wright at Long Lartin.
Wright is serving a whole-life sentence for murdering five women in Ipswich in 2006 and was later convicted of killing 17-year-old Victoria Hall in 1999.
Unnamed sources alleged that the two prisoners spend time together, cook meals and watch television.
The Prison Service did not confirm those details.
Relationships between prisoners are closely monitored in high-security institutions, particularly when inmates have committed serious sexual or violent offences.
Questions for prison authorities
The case has led to calls for an explanation of how a prisoner convicted of an obsessive plot could allegedly gather and retain photographs of his intended victim.
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy argued that an offender imprisoned for such crimes should not be able to obtain material connected to the person he targeted.
He linked the report to wider concerns over illicit and unauthorised items inside British prisons.
However, ordinary newspapers and magazines are not necessarily prohibited, creating challenges when images with a direct connection to an offender’s crimes appear in otherwise permitted publications.
Prison authorities must balance normal access to reading materials with individual risk-management restrictions.
Prison Service responds
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “These prisoners’ crimes were despicable and it is right they are behind bars where they belong.”
The spokesperson added that measures were being strengthened at Long Lartin to combat drugs, drones and prohibited items through improved security and staffing.
Officials said £40 million had been invested in prison security.
The statement did not specifically confirm whether photographs of Holly were discovered or which disciplinary measures may have been imposed.
A disturbing new chapter
Plumb remains in custody under a life sentence and cannot be considered for release until he has served his minimum term.
Even then, freedom would not be automatic.
A Parole Board would need to be satisfied that his risk could be managed safely in the community.
Reports that he collected photographs of Holly behind bars, if accurate, could raise serious questions about whether he has addressed the fixation that drove his original offending.
For Holly and her family, the suggestion that her image was secretly gathered inside his cell is another disturbing development in a case that has already caused enormous fear and disruption.
The plot was stopped before Plumb could reach her.
But the latest allegations have renewed demands to ensure that the woman he targeted remains protected — even while he is locked behind prison walls.
